Tanya Plibersek (Sydney, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Environment and Water) Share this | Hansard source

As Dr Haines, the member for Indi, has said, this amendment will empower the Inspector-General of Water Compliance to undertake an audit of the Murray-Darling Basin Authority's sustainable diversion limit calculations in their capacity as an independent entity. The amendment further bolsters the audit powers of the inspector-general to ensure accountability and transparency of water accounting methods relating to the sustainable diversion limit adjustment mechanism reconciliation process and the 450-gigalitre target.

I'm very pleased that the government have been able to work so constructively with the member for Indi on these amendments (4) to (6), as circulated in her name, and that we have been able to work with both the member for Indi and the member for Mayo to strengthen the accountability mechanisms in this bill.

Of those sustainable diversion limit adjustment mechanism projects that the member has alluded to, about a third are complete, about a third are on track and about a third are looking quite dicey. We'll continue to work with the states. Extending the time frames in the plan, as we're doing with this legislation, gives us the opportunity to complete those projects that can be completed. We've also said to basin states and the ACT that we're happy to look at additional projects, should they emerge. I'll spend a moment saying that the Inspector-General of Water Compliance has done an excellent job to date. Engaging the inspector-general in this way is an excellent step to increase compliance and transparency, and I thank the member for putting forward the amendments.

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